All I Want For Christmas
by themindofmine
Summary: The baby is on it's way but can Eliot, Kenna and the team make it through the Christmas season without any drama?  Come on...it wouldn't be Christmas without a little drama!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own anything that is Leverage. I bend them to my liking and there is no law against that. Thank you to all my friends who enjoy Eliot and Kenna. I enjoy writing their stories for you.

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter One

(December 15)

Eliot Spencer had seen more than his fair share of trouble over the years. War, famine, death and destruction were every day occurrences in his life before he had settled into a life in LA three years ago. He hadn't even had an apartment until Nate moved the offices to Boston. Now standing in his living room watching the snow fall he looked back on the things that got him to this place in his life. It all started with a little girl with a dirty face and too small shoes on her feet. Taking a long drag of his beer, Eliot thought about the day Jodi had brought the little girl home after school. He remembered thinking how much the troubled little waif could disrupt his nine year old life. He smiled. That nine year old boy didn't know what he was in for.

"That's the one thing I miss." A soft voice said in the darkness. Eliot felt her arms around his waist and her warm breath on his back.

"What's that darlin'?"

"One last beer before the end of the day." He felt her smile.

"How was your day?" Eliot asked.

"Long. I forgot how Sophie loves to shop." Kenna came around and snuggled into his chest. "The tree looks good." She looked at the sparkling six foot artificial tree in the corner.

"It's the first tree I've decorated since I left Kentucky." He held her close.

"We have a lot of Christmas's to make up for, don't we." She closed her eyes.

"Let's just start slow. One holiday at a time." He felt the thumping against his ribs. "When's the last time you ate?" His hand went down to her nearly seven month's pregnant belly. The little bundle inside was kicking up a storm.

"I swear I just had some gummy frogs at Hardison's." Eliot shook his head.

"You're insane you know that?" She looked up and smiled.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway." She kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, God help me I do." He kissed the top of her head. "Let's go make some dinner."

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The nightmare was always the same lately. The ball of fire flying through the window. Eliot alone unable to get out. Unable to breath. The darkness surrounding him. He didn't like the dark. She had known that since they met. Sitting up she saw him sitting in the chair.

"It's not as bad as it seems." Kenna whispered.

"I like when you scream my name, I would just rather you be awake when you do it." He went to the side of the bed and brushed the hair out of her face. "If it's any consolation, I've been having them too."

"You sleep for two hours a night. Do you even have time to get a good dream going?" She smiled.

"I have all my good dreams when I'm awake." He kissed her. "Go back to sleep. I'll be here if you need me." Kenna lay back down and Eliot pulled the covers over her. He went to stand but she pulled him back down.

"You're not going anywhere."

"You are a naughty little elf Kenna Shane." She smiled. Eliot was sure that her appetite for him was gonna kill him before too long but damn, he couldn't think of better way to go.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

(December 16)

Nate pulled the file up on the computer. Eliot was nearly healthy enough to be back in the game. He wanted to hold out till after Christmas at least but he knew Eliot and he knew he couldn't say no to this job.

"How do feel about helping Santa?" He looked at the five people in front of him.

"Well it depends on what we're helping him with I guess." Hardison said, confused.

"Klaus Nicolas runs Santa Inc. It's a charity that relies strictly on donations to fund their twice a year toy and food drive for the unprivileged kids of Boston. The Christmas In July benefit went on without a hitch and they still had an impressive amount of money to invest in the December benefit. Until they started investing with this man." A picture came up of a middle aged dark haired man. "Neil Hendricks in the CEO of Hendricks Investments." Hardison took over.

"Hendricks is all over the place. He started off in med school, went to law school, business school, hell he even went into the seminary for a few years. His money is all over the place too. Investments, bad investments, farm land, swamp land, real estate, this guy has invested in it all. He won and lost more than his fair share of fortunes."

"So why does he take a local charities money and gamble it away?" Sophie asked.

"Because he doesn't believe in charity." Nate said. "He has never, once in his entire life donated to a charity."

"But he got plenty of it. He grew up dirt poor. His mother worked for a church on the south side and pretty much lived off the church for the first ten years of his life." Hardison looked at the screen. "Any ideas on how to get this guy?"

"Santa's little helpers." Nate and Sophie said at the same time and smiled.

"Oh this is so not how I wanted to spend my holiday." Parker shook her head.

"You up to this Eliot?" Nate asked him.

"I'm good."

"Kenna?" Nate looked at her.

"You need a pregnant woman on this job?"

"I need someone to help Hardison go through Hendricks financials once we get them. There is going to be a ton of stuff with the investments he's made."

"Sounds good." Kenna answered. Nate smiled.

"All righty than, let's go steal us Christmas." He walked out of the room.

"Someone has to tell that man it's getting old." Hardison said.

"I think it's kinda cute." Kenna got up and headed to get water from the fridge. Eliot, Sophie and Parker followed him out the door.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"No. You can't make me do it Nate." Eliot stood firmly planted with his arms crossing his chest.

"Eliot, you know I can and I will." He took out his phone.

"What? You're going to call my mother and tell on me?"

"Clara…I never thought of that. I was going to call Kenna." Nate chuckled.

"I can't do this."

"You need to do this."

"Get Hardison to do it."

"It will be good practice for you."

"Really, you think having a bunch of screaming, whiny, over tired, hungry, children crawl all over me will be good practice for a baby?" Nate crossed his arms over his chest. "And that's low, threatening to call my girlfriend if I don't do it."

"Okay, what do I have to do to make you put on that suit?"

"How much do you have?" Eliot smirked.

"You have never been in this for the money, Eliot, don't start now."

"Three jobs or less before the baby's born."

"Four."

"Three." Eliot looked at Nate. "I can't be on the road when the time comes. You know Kenna will kill us both."

"Okay, but you got to do this so it convinces people you are Santa."

"Nate, now your pushin' it." Eliot grabbed the red and white suit from Nate and went into the back room to change. Nate smiled. He definitely needed video proof of this, because no one would believe that he talked Eliot Spencer into donning a Santa suit for a job.


	2. Chapter 2

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Two

(December 16 )

"Oh Kenna, you gotta see this." Hardison said. She had been sitting on Nate's couch looking over the files they had on the new client.

"Hardison, I'm really not in the mood for your little cartoon bunnies have sex with mine and Eliot's faces photo shopped on them." She said.

"Oh you are gonna want to see this." Kenna looked up to see a picture of a department store Santa.

"Oh yeah, if you seen one Santa Hardison, you've seen them all."

"No you haven't. Check out the hair." Kenna looked again. "That's not any ordinary Santa. That be your baby daddy." Hardison laughed.

"No, there is no way that Nate could ever get him to wear…oh dear God it is Eliot." Kenna sat up. "He must have promised him the moon." She smiled.

"_All right you two knock it off." Eliot said._

"Damn it Hardison, tell me when you turn the ear buds on." Kenna threw a pillow at him.

"_You're liken' this too much Kenna, you will get yours when I get back there." Eliot growled. _

"Will Nate let you bring home the suit?" Kenna asked.

"_Okay, people, focus. Eliot you and your little helper need to be in the lobby when Hendricks goes out for lunch with Sophie." Nate watched from the upper level of the office building. "We need to hack his computer and put in those bugs before they get back._

"_Are you sure this is the way to go Nate? I mean you said this guy doesn't do charity." Eliot asked._

"_When he's the charity, he will." Nate said cryptically. _

"I hate when he does that." Kenna said under her breath.

"_You have any better idea's I'm open for suggestions." Nate replied._

"Just saying." Kenna said as she turned off her ear bud and went back to work.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"So we have his financials. We know his money is all over the grid. He's got it in more places than even he knows about." Hardison pulled up the map of Hendricks money. "Kenna found a back door into a shell company that was created right after Santa Inc. lost their money."

"So this shell company is where the money is?" Nate asked.

"That and….over thirty million more." Kenna stood. She handed him the file. "I've gone crossed eyed trying to figure out why. He's stealing from the poor to give to the rich and damn it, I wish I knew why." Kenna went to the far end of the room and looked out the window. Eliot watched her.

"The first time is always the hardest." Parker was sitting next to him. "She may think she knows how nasty the world can get but there's always one guy who proves you ain't seen nothing yet." She looked at him.

"I remember the year she quit believing in Santa. She was nine. My mom and I wanted to make her and Jodi's Christmas the best ever. Kenna was just so much the cynic about everything back then."

"Kind of like now?" Parker looked at her.

"Believe it or not she was worse." Eliot chuckled. "Her mom was drunk on Christmas eve and told all of them that there was no Santa after me and my mom spent the weeks before proving to her that God and Santa do exist."

"I was four." Parker said. "But in foster care, Santa doesn't ever exist."

"I'm sorry." Eliot knew that things with his family never were as bad as what Hardison and Parker had gone through.

"She's never going to not believe." Parker said quietly.

"Who."

"Your daughter. Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy…till she's at least twelve, because after that it might be a bit awkward." Eliot chuckled.

"You are crazy, you know that?"

"Yeah, but my friends like me that way." Parker smiled. "Go talk to her." Eliot nodded and stood up. He knew by the way she was standing that she wasn't willing to talk. He stood behind her and took her into his arms and genially ran his hands down her extended belly. The baby kicked his hand nearly off her stomach.

"Wow when you're pissed, she's pissed." He whispered in her ear.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Keep emotionally dethatched?"

"I don't." He pulled her close so her back rested against his chest. "I remember every name of every client we help. I get involved in their lives for a few short hours or days and I'm gone but I never forget the feeling I got when we see that last time to tell them everything is going to be okay."

"Really?" He chuckled.

"Really. I'm still the hard ass I've always been but this job has melted a little bit of the ice around my cold retrieval specialist heart."

"And what have me and this baby done to that heart?" She looked over her shoulder at him.

"You have it pretty much in the palm of your hand. It still has to be cold now and then but darlin' it belongs to you." Kenna closed her eyes and let the arms around her warm her.

"You really looked good in that Santa Suit."

"I may have a chance to wear it again. If you behave yourself."

"Now that's pushing it." She curled into his arms. "I'm going home to take a nap. If you need me, call." She kissed his cheek. Kenna started walking away but Eliot pulled her back.

"I love you." He kissed the tip of her nose.

"I love you too." Kenna pushed herself away and headed out the door. Eliot felt the chill in the air and made a mental note to look in to it when the job is done. Eliot went and sat back down next to Parker. Nate continued to ramble on about the job and how they were going to infiltrate the holiday festivities. Eliot picked up what he needed to know and just drowned out the rest. He should talk to Nate about prioritizing.

"Are we boring you Eliot?" Nate stood in front of him.

"Nope. You want us to hit the Christmas party hard, make him spill his guts to the board and we get our clients money back and maybe a bonus for the underprivgled children of Boston."

"Go be with Kenna." Nate smiled. "I think we have had enough drama for one day."

"I owe you one." Eliot stood up. He headed to his apartment.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna was curled up in the middle of the bed. Topher was at her feet purring. Eliot kicked his boots off and climbed in next to her. She shifted and her shirt pulled up, revealing her tan skin pulled tight over her belly. She took his breath away just lying there. He closed his eyes and tried to remember a time when Kenna hadn't been part of his thoughts. There really wasn't a time he could think of. Even alone on a ridge in Beirut she had been in his thoughts as he scoped out the enemy camp. The hours she had kept him sane when the ambush he planed had been compromised and he ended up in a Pakistani hell hole for weeks.

"We're fine Eliot." She whispered in the dark. "I can hear you worrying from here." Kenna turned and looked at him. The light from the bathroom illuminated his face and she could see the worried lines on his forehead.

"I'm not worried. Just concerned. If this is too much for you to take Kenna, you don't have to work with us."

"I'm just tired and moody and I don't want Nate and everybody to think I'm a bitch so I have to walk away for a breather." She said in one breath.

"Nobody thinks you're a bitch Kenna." She looked at him. "Really, even on your worst day darlin'."

"I hate feeling out of control Eliot." He knew exactly how she felt. When you're used to running the show sometimes it takes a while to feel comfortable when you know you can't.

"You are in control Kenna. You just need to take a step back sometimes." He didn't touch her or pull her closer like he was itching to do. Maybe just this one little thing on her own terms would help her through the tough time she was having.

"I lost control when you left Kentucky and it took me years to get it back. Get me back. Now I feel liked the whole thing is crashing down on me again."

"Because of me?"

"No because of me." She touched his face. "All I ever needed was you to love me. Every single day you do that for me and you can't know how much it means to me." Moving her leg, Topher scrambled off the bed and out the door. "I want to do the same for you."

"Kenna, you do. You don't how much you've gotten me through, even when you were a million miles away and I hadn't talked to you for years." He held firm. Keeping his hands balled up so he wouldn't be tempted to touch her. Her hands went from his face, down his chest and stopped.

"I want to be part of your world Eliot but I just need to know that I can have an opinion and Nate not make me feel like I'm butting in." She undid the buttons of his shirt. Pushing it off his shoulders she laid her cheek on the warmth of his chest. Her hand moved to the puckered indentations where the three bullets had nearly killed him not to long ago.

"Just talk it out with him Kenna…I think…" She was making him loose his concentration. "I think he thinks of you as one of the team or he wouldn't snap back at you like he does." Eliot thought he would need to push her hand away from her exploring if he needed to say another word. Her lips replaced her fingers and Eliot gave up any chance of finishing a sentence let alone the conversation they were having. She moved her body closer to his.

"You okay?" She whispered against his chest.

"Just enjoying the attention sweetheart." He sucked in a breath when her fingers undid the button of his jeans. "Lord Kenna Shane you better be careful down there." Kenna smiled.

"Wow, that's the first time I heard that come out of your mouth." She pulled down his fly ever so slowly. He kept his hands gripping the sheets and let her take control. Pushing him to his back she pulled off her t-shirt and Eliot almost lost it. No woman had the right to look like she did. Did it make him more a perv if her pregnant belly and swollen breasts made him harder than he had ever been? Tossing her shirt in the hamper with a back handed toss she leaned over and kissed him hard. Eliot smiled. She never missed that damn basket. "You gonna help me here cowboy or do I have to do all the work." She whispered.

"Oh darlin' this is your rodeo. I'm just along for the ride." Eliot chuckled. He moved his mouth just enough to kiss her again. Somehow Kenna slid off her pants and panties without breaking the kiss. She looked into his eyes as she lowered herself onto him. He didn't flinch or even blink but she felt his hands tighten on the sheet beneath them.

"You okay?" She whispered. Her brown eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Move around anymore and you're gonna find out how far from okay I am." He said through clenched teeth.

"You sound a little tense Spencer." She leaned forward and kissed his neck, letting her breasts rub against his chest. His breath caught and Kenna felt his hands move up her legs to her hips but he just held her them there.

"You have that effect on me." He ground out. "Since when did you become a tease Kenna Shane?"

"Since you decided to let me run this rodeo." Her hips started moving and she kissed him, her tongue dancing with his. He wanted her to be in control of something and this was one thing she enjoyed controlling. There were nights when he had to have control but at this moment he was glad to give it up to her. She moved his hand to help her get to over the edge and neither one of them went over quietly. Pretty much the whole building knew Kenna and Eliot had fought and made up that night. Of course no one was ever going to mention it if they wanted to live another day.


	3. Chapter 3

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Three

(December 18)

"Morning Nate." Kenna poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Kenna." He nodded. "You up for a little recon today?" He didn't look up from the paper.

"Sure."

"Temp job in Hendricks office."

"Sounds good. What do we need?"

"I need him to think someone is following him and digging into his person holdings."

"Someone is following him and digging into his holdings." Kenna smiled.

"This way you can get into the company party tomorrow night. I need everyone there when we take this guy down."

"Thank you." She looked over her coffee cup.

"For what."

"Easing me back in after the last job."

"Kenna, your boyfriend was nearly killed in a fire, your seven months pregnant and I know that you hate being idle. I do what I can with what I have." Nate looked at her. "You make things right with jolly old St. Nick?"

"I still want to know what you did to get him to put it on."

"I promised him the moon." Nate smiled.

"Really Nate, I would have thought you were a moon and the starts kinda guy." Kenna knew that Nate would never divulge his secret. "What time do I have to be at work?"

"By nine." He said.

"I better go find something office worthy."

"I think Eliot picked up a few things when we were downtown yesterday."

"Eliot picked me up a few things?"

"I think Sophie might have helped." He told her.

"All righty then. I will see you in an hour." Kenna stood up. "Thanks again Nate."

"If you need to talk or you feel this isn't what you signed up for, don't hesitate to tell me. I value you place on this team and I know sometimes I don't let you know that."

"I promise when and if my hormones ever get back to acceptable levels I will be a far better asset than I am now."

"Kenna you bring so much more to this team than you'll ever know." She smile and nodded, heading back to her apartment. Sophie was waiting for her.

"Are you ready for the first day of work?"

"As I'll ever be." Kenna ran her hand down her sides. "You do know I don't do dresses. Right?"

"You do know how beautiful you are, right?" Sophie handed her a red pant suit.

"Red?"

"You want to stand out. With your hair in that French braid you love so; it will look wonderful on you." Kenna looked at the woman and shook her head.

"I grew up in hand me downs, mostly Eliot's." She told Sophie as she ran her hand down the silk jacket. "Then uniforms and beat up jeans."

"I have a feeling Eliot wouldn't care if you walked around naked…in fact I think he'd prefer it." Sophie pulled Kenna in front of the mirror that hung from the bathroom door. "Look, your practically glowing."

"Sophie, stop." Kenna grabbed the suit and went into the bath room and shut the door. Sitting on the hamper was a box with a bow. She took the card out and read it. 'I bought this for me. Eliot.' Kenna opened the box. It was sheer and very red with white ribbing. "Santa's little helper." Kenna whispered. "Eliot Spencer what I'm I going to do when you decide this isn't what you signed up for." She smiled and changed into her work clothes…putting her play clothes underneath.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"You're my new assistant?" Hendricks looked at her.

"The temp agency sent me over. Kelly Armstrong." Kenna held out her hand. He took it.

"I need help to the end of the year Ms. Armstrong."

"I'm not due till February and I'm pretty in tune with the investment business so it won't take me too long to catch on to the way you do things around here." Kenna smiled that smile that no one, not even a cold hearted corrupt investment banker could say no to.

"Good. I need someone who has a clue." He handed her some files. "There's a holiday party tomorrow, Santa and the whole nine yards. You can bring your husband and kids."

"No husband, no kids." Kenna told him. "I planned this one." She pointed to her expanded waistline. "No fuss, no muss." The man looked her over.

"I like a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it." He put his hand on the small of her back and led her into his office.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"I don't like it Nate." Eliot sat in the van with Nate and Hardison.

"He's a thief, not a rapist." Nate told him.

"A thief with a fetish for pregnant women." Eliot snapped. Hardison chuckled. "What's so funny Hardison?"

"Just remembering the look on Kenna's face when we found his computer stash of mommy porn."

(Flashback)

"Oh dear God in heaven." Hardison said. Kenna came up behind him.

"Really Alec, not funny." She said.

"It's Hendricks stash, not mine." He shook his head. Kenna turned her head to the side trying to focus on the paper in front of her. She looked up.

"Oh I like that one." She said over Hardison's shoulder. "I should try that one with Eliot."

"Over sharing!" Alec pressed some buttons trying to change the pictures.

(Present)

"Wipe that grin off your face Hardison before I slap it off." Eliot said through clenched teeth.

"Sorry man." Hardison looked up at the live footage from Kenna's button cam. "By the end of the day Hendricks will be giving her the map to his hidden treasure." Eliot's fist shot out hitting Hardison square in the shoulder.

"Knock it off you two." Nate said. He watched the screen. "She's doing great Eliot. You have an hour before you have to get ready for the lobby thing."

"You said I only had to do it once."

"How was I supposed to know he would hire you and Parker for his holiday party?"

"You owe me." Eliot said as he grabbed the garment bag hanging on the hook in back. "You better wrap this thing up tomorrow night so we can have a client free Christmas." Leaving the van Eliot slammed the door.

"You promised him no new clients till after the holidays didn't you?" Hardison looked at Nate.

"I get three between now and February." Nate watched the screen. "It already less than a week till Christmas. I think even if we wrap this up today I will hold off to January."

"You know you almost sound like you might like a week or two off. Sophie looks like she could use a break."

"Yeah, I think a trip to someplace warm is in order."

"Want me to book some tickets?"

"Yeah, departing on the twenty sixth."

"You got it." Hardison smiled. "We all need a little break."

"Where are you and Parker going to go?"

"I got us booked on a little excursion through Thailand."

"Good for you."

"Where do you think we should send Kenna and Eliot?"

"I think a week at home, alone would make a lovely Christmas gift."

"You already had this planned, didn't you?" Hardison smiled.

"Yeah, it was just a bonus to get Eliot in the Santa suit." Nate smiled. "By the way you're welcome…the elf suit is Parker's to keep."

"You are a sick man Nate Ford. A very sick man." They went back to their surveillance.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You found all these discrepancies since you started?" Hendricks looked at the pile.

"That's just the minor stuff. Your last assistant really miss filed a lot of stuff." Kenna smiled. "I'm going to head out to lunch. Can I get you anything?"

"A club sandwich would be great." The older man looked at Kenna while she sat going over the last of a file.

"Okay, I'm going to finish up the last of this file and head out."

"Take your time." Hendricks looked her up and down one more time then headed back into his office.

"Hardison, all the cameras are set and the taps in place." Kenna told him.

"Good job for a rookie." Hardison teased.

"I could run circles around you on a good day hacker man." Kenna chuckled and stood. "I'm making a lunch run. Hendricks will be alone." She headed out of the office.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Hey." Parker stood behind Kenna in the cafeteria line.

"Hey." Kenna answered. "I didn't know it was bring your elf day to the office." She said.

"You need to stop hanging around Eliot." Parker said.

"I've always been like this; maybe Eliot should stop hanging out with me." Kenna smiled. "See you at the North Pole." Kenna paid for her sandwiches and headed back upstairs. Parker left with Hendricks key card she took from Kenna's pocket.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas." Eliot sat in the lobby. He watched the people come and go. "Don't forget the holiday party tomorrow night." He saw the flash of red out of the corner of his eye. She carried herself like no other woman he knew. She was confident and bold yet she blended in with her surroundings. When she passed by him he inhaled her scent.

"Hey, Santa." She smiled.

"Have you been naughty or nice?" He asked her.

"Well you would know." Kenna winked and walked by heading back upstairs.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Kenna wondered how woman worked every day in heals. She kicked off the red shoes and pulled the tie out of her braid. She walked into the bedroom and toward the bathroom. Stopping, she felt a hand on her back and the jacket of her suit slipped off her shoulders.

"Hey Santa." White glove covered hands came around her waist. Warm lips kissed her neck.

"Hey, yourself." The hands slid down her pants over her hips, then pulled her shirt over her head reveling her sheer red undergarments.

"You're being very naughty in your gift giving."

"They don't call me Jolly Ol' St. Nick for nothin' darlin'." Eliot whispered in her ear. Kenna turned around and kissed him. The white beard and red had still on his person.

"Ohhh you really went all out."

"Just remember I have to wear this tomorrow night, in front of children." Kenna smiled.

"We can get rid of the suit and just go with the beard and hat." He chuckled.

"You are a naughty elf Kenna Shane. A very naughty elf." And for the next few hours he proved how naughty a Santa Eliot Spencer could be.


	4. Chapter 4

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Four

(December 19)

"He's losing it Nate." Kenna stood next to the office door.

"_Okay, get down to the party and get lost in the crowd. Better yet get lost behind Eliot." Nate was in the lobby waiting for Hendricks._

"I'm on my way." Kenna was at the stairs when an angry Hendricks burst out of the office. "I think he just found out where is money wasn't."

"_Get the hell out of there now Kenna." Nate headed up to the offices. Eliot took the child he was holding on his lap and shoved her at Parker. _

"_Kenna we're on our way." Eliot told her. "Kenna!" Her com was quiet. Eliot hit the steps in a dead run._

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Who are you?" Hendricks had a gun to Kenna's forehead.

"I'm just a temp."

"I found the bugs and the cameras and you're the only one that was in here."

"Mr. Hendricks pleases. I was here but only when you were." Kenna took a step down. She saw the flash of red behind her. "Put the gun down." She said, warning Eliot that the man was armed.

"My money is gone. All of it is gone." There was anger in the man's eyes. Kenna felt Eliot's breath on her leg. If she hadn't of been seven months pregnant she would have tossed her leg over the railing and leap to safety. That wasn't an option.

"Just put the gun down." She whispered. Nothing ever scared Kenna Shane Hawks. Not even dying. Glancing down at the look on Eliot's face scared her. He was angry. More angry than she'd ever seen him. Taking three steps at a time he put his body between Hendricks and herself.

"You heard the lady, put the gun down now."

"Santa to the rescue." The older man swung the gun at Eliot.

"Son, you don't want to do that." Eliot grabbed the gun and tossed it to Kenna before he took his elbow and started pounding the man. "Go, Kenna, NOW!" Kenna headed down the steps and let Eliot finish up with Hendricks.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0o/0

(December 20)

"Mr. Nicolas," Nate smiled handing the man a check. "just in the nick of time." Sophie shook her head. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." Nate watched Eliot out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't been the same since yesterday. He hadn't thought to check on the hitter and the paramedic last night because he had pressing plans with Sophie. "We want to help out on Christmas Eve, if you'll let us."

"Oh that would be marvelous." The older man shook Nate's hand. "I will see you all again on Friday morning." The man smiled and left.

"What's going on?" Nate asked Sophie.

"He won't go home." She looked at Eliot.

"What do you mean he won't go home?"

"He just won't go. I can't get a hold of Kenna and he's been here all day."

"What happened?"

"I don't know." Sophie turned back to Nate. "We have the twenty four hours of peace after a job rule, remember." Nate walked over to Eliot.

"Where's Kenna?"

"Home, in bed." He answered.

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Then why are you down here?"

"Because she needs some time Nate. I need some time." He downed his drink and motioned to Mike to fill it up. "I was eight when my old man shot himself. I was twelve when I saw my mother's boyfriend shoot a meth dealer on Main Street. I was sixteen when my mother's husband put a gun to my head and threatened to kill me if I didn't get the hell out of her life. I was nineteen when the US government handed me a rifle and told me to kill to protect my country." Eliot turned to Nate. "And I was thirty six when I saw a psychopath hold a gun to the mother of my child's head and pull the hammer back. Twice in less then a month. I think I need a little fucken' time." Eliot slammed his drink down and nearly shattered the glass.

"Does she know about all this? I mean apart from the holding a gun to her head thing."

"Yeah. That's why she's curled up in the fetal position on our bed with her head in Parker's lap sobbing her heart out." Eliot looked down at the amber liquid in his glass. "I swore I would never relive this shit but damn it Nate it keeps rearing its ugly head every chance it gets."

"I'm pulling the plug on this whole thing." Nate stood up. "I'll get everyone together and we'll just go our separate ways." Eliot looked at him.

"Nate, no. That's not what I want. Not what Kenna would want, I just…I just can't have it happing on a day to day basis." Eliot took a deep breath. "Kenna and I have been on the edge for awhile, we just need it to blow over."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Hell Nate, we didn't even know what was happening." Eliot shifted his glass from one hand to the other. "We were just hiding behind the hot sex and Kenna's hormonal imbalance."

"So are you or aren't you …okay?"

"We will be." Eliot looked at Nate. "All I want for Christmas is to work all this shit out man. I gotta lot of shit buried, in case you haven't noticed." Nate smiled.

"I noticed, Eliot. Can you work it out with Kenna or do we need to find you a shrink?"

"I think the two of us can work it out but we needed some space."

"We're off till after the New Year. I promised Mr. Nicolas we would help them out on Friday. Kenna planned dinner on Saturday then after that you got the place to yourself. Me and Sophie are headed to Spain and Hardison and Parker are headed to Thailand."

"You think a week alone in Boston is gonna fix us?"

"I'm sure a week in the Bahamas would fix you faster but I'm sure the doctor would frown upon travel this late in Kenna's pregnancy."

"I think a week or so without dealing with crooked CEO's and corrupt lawyers and coms and cons will do us all some good." Eliot took the last drink from his glass. "Dinner at our house tonight. I think it's time my friends knew some of my secrets."

"You think Kenna will be up to it?"

"Yeah, if she isn't I'll let you know." Nate nodded.

"Take it easy my friend." Eliot got up and headed upstairs.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"I haven't cried that much since high school." Kenna took a deep breath and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"It's gonna be okay." Parker smiled. She brushed the hair out of Kenna's face. "We're all a little broken Kenna."

"An all the super glue in the world ain't gonna fix the lot of us." Eliot said from the door way. Kenna was out of bed and in his arms before either of them took another breath. He held her close and breathed in her scent. He had missed that damn shampoo all night. He looked at Parker sitting on his bed. Shifting Kenna he motioned to the thief and she got up and went into his arms too. It had been a long night for all three of them. Parker saw what he did to the wall and told him to go. He would never hit Kenna and she had known that but she also knew that both he and Kenna were a powder keg when things got hot between them. The taser in her hand had told him to walk away till he got his anger in check and he listened. He let Kenna slide down his leg and hugged the two women.

"We're here for you Eliot." Kenna said against his chest.

"I know darlin', I know." Eliot closed his eyes and tried to forget the hours after Hendricks held the gun to her head.

(Flashback)

(December 19. 10:00 pm)

"Do you know what the hell it did to me seeing you with the gun to your head?" Eliot screamed at her.

"I tried to get out but the damn door stuck and he heard me."

"He could have killed you." Eliot turned and punched the wall.

"Eliot please, you're going to hurt yourself!" Kenna said as the tears formed in her eyes. "I'm okay."

"The gun was to your head." His fists were balled up in rage. He slammed his right one into the wall again. The door burst open and Parker was between him and Kenna, taser in her hand.

"It's time to leave Sparky." Parker looked at him with an intense icy stare.

"Parker, no." Kenna put her shaking hand on the thief's shoulder.

"Get the hell out Eliot, now. Go cool off, get drunk, punch a bag or do whatever it is you do whatever it is you do to get yourself under control but here is not the place to take out your frustrations." Eliot looked over at Kenna, her eyes red and clutching her stomach. He started shaking. He had hurt Kenna. Not physically but he had hurt her none the less. He grabbed his coat and walked out the door.

(Present)

"I'm sorry about last night." He whispered into Kenna's hair. Parker touched his cheek and pulled out of his embrace so he could hold Kenna.

"There is no reason to be sorry." Kenna looked at him. They were alone in the room. Parker had made a quick getaway knowing the two needed to talk about things.

"Oh Kenna I have more than last night to be sorry for. I've been pushing you away for a long time and I just need you to know that I never wanted to hurt you." He held her close. "I never want to hurt you."

"I know Eliot, just like I never wanted to hurt you." She looked at him. "Some days we do it to each other." Kenna took a deep breath. "Let's just put this behind us."

"Sounds like a plan, but I want to talk to Nate and the others tonight at dinner."

"If you're okay with that, then so am I."

"They need to know what we've been going through."

"I guess we can't blame hormones and a bad attitude on everything."

"No."

"We both need some sleep. We have like six hours before dinner." She laid her head on his chest. "I think we need a nap."

"No arguments from me." He pulled down the covers and they both crawled into bed. "Sweet dreams darlin'." She was already asleep. He closed his eyes and hoped the bad dreams would stay away for a little while. For both their sakes.


	5. Chapter 5

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Five

"Dinner was great Eliot." Hardison said. They were all sitting around the table enjoying a little piece.

"Thanks." Eliot looked at the people around him. "I'm really sorry about today." He played with the label of his beer bottle. "Ya'll know that Kenna and I love a good fight and a lot of times it's with each other." They all laughed. "We do it a lot more than you might think." Kenna nodded. "But we do agree on one thing, that the six of us are family and family sticks by you, no matter what." Eliot looked at the four people in front of him. "I have never made it a secret that I hate guns. More than once I'm sure you wondered why."

"We figured you'd tell us when you were ready." Nate said.

"When I was eight, my dad shot himself. I came into the house after school one day and he was at the kitchen table. Then a few years later my mom was dating Billy on and off and he had taken me, Jodi and Kenna into town to get ice cream and he shot a meth dealer who had tried robbing the ice cream parlor."

"Before or after you got your ice cream?" Parker asked in all seriousness.

"Parker!" Nate, Sophie and Hardison said at the same time. Kenna smiled.

"Before, Parker. Eliot dragged us the half a block to the Seven Eleven and bought us both beef jerky." Parker seemed satisfied with that.

"Then when I was sixteen Billy and I fought all the time. Kenna pulled me off the guy more times than either of us want to remember. The last night in Kentucky, I came home late and he met me at the door with a nine mil pointed at my forehead."

"It's a wonder Billy is still alive." Nate said.

"Yeah, well I did break his arm before I left." Eliot stood and tossed his beer bottle in the recycle bin and grabbed another one. "Anyone else?" They all shook their heads. "Any way I rambled around for a few years, working ranches and training horses. I joined the Army and they told me guns were good and they protect people. We all know how that one ends and then there were the two incidents where our mark put a gun to my girlfriends head." He sat back down.

"You had no control over either one of those situations." Sophie said.

"Exactly. I had no control. I can only control me and I have issues because…I can't control what happens in Kenna's life anymore than she can mine. And we fight. We fight a lot."

"But we are happy." Kenna added. "Most of the time. Just bare with us." Nate looked at them.

"You know we're all here for you both." Nate stood. "Just don't be afraid to tell me if things get too tough." He helped Sophie up. "We are officially off duty till January second. We have a date with Santa Inc. on Friday but other than that our holidays are free."

"Don't forget dinner on Saturday." Kenna reminded them as everyone said good night. Eliot watched her. She looked better after their nap and when they were cooking dinner she was actually humming.

"I think it went well." Eliot hugged her from behind.

"We got passed the gun thing, how about the other five hundred things that make us the most messed up people ever to reproduce." Kenna close her eyes.

"How are you doing?"

"I'd be better if it was February."

"Don't rush it baby." He kissed her neck. "This whole mom to be things is a real turn on." Eliot chuckled.

"So when I squeeze your daughter out of me I won't be a turn on anymore." She asked.

"Kenna Shane you have turned me on long before I ever knew what you were doing to me." He ran his hands over her stomach. "If you only knew the nights I went to bed hard because I was thinking about you."

"Oh really. Do tell Mr. Spencer." Kenna smiled.

"Why tell you when I can show you." He pulled her to the couch and showed her exactly how hard he could get.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(December 21)

"Tell me what you got her!" Parker sat on Eliot's counter as he made breakfast the next morning.

"I tell her and you let it slip in one of your crazy ways."

"Okay, what did you get me?" Eliot shook his head.

"Parker you have searched this place from top to bottom, have you found anything that resembles a present?"

"No which means your hiding something."

"Four days, Parker. Four days."

"Next year is going to be great with the baby and all." She looked at him. "We're still going to spend Christmas together, right."

"You bet." Eliot looked up from the omelet he was making. "No matter where we are in our lives Parker, whether we're working or not, I promise we will be together at Christmas." He flipped the omelet to a plate and handed it to her.

"I don't know if I like this sappy Eliot." She chuckled.

"I promise the bad ass is just waiting for you to do something crazy."

"Thanks." Parker dug into her omelet.

"Slow down, it's not going anywhere." Kenna came up behind Parker.

"God she sounds like a mom already." Parker slid off the counter and went and sat on a stool.

"That's just her bossy nature." Eliot said.

"The couch is a really comfy place to spend the holiday's Eliot." She came around the counter and kissed his cheek.

"Like that will ever happen." Parker said. Kenna laughed and grabbed the plate Eliot handed her.

"Hey we both spent some time on that couch." Kenna told her.

"Her more than me." Eliot returned.

"Whatever Spencer." She smiled. "Parker don't listen to him."

"Hey, I'm going to let the two of you fight this out and I'm going to take my omelet to go." Parker grabbed her plate and headed out the door.

"I lose more plates that way." Eliot said as he leaned over and kissed Kenna.

"We really should stop doing that to her. One of these days she's going to tase one of us." Kenna told him.

"You're safe for a few months."

"You better behave yourself then." Kenna took another bite of her omelet.

"That's asking a lot." He said.

"I guess it is."

"I love you Kenna Shane." He pushed a wisp of hair out of her face.

"I love you too." Kenna kissed his hand.

"Finish your breakfast. I have some shopping to do and I need your help."

"You do know I hate shopping, right?"

"Yeah, I know." He stood up. "Get dressed. Meet me at the truck in fifteen minutes." He grabbed his coat off the rack and his keys off the hook. She watched him as he slid his arms into the sleeves. "Today Kenna." He turned and smiled.

"I'm going." She slid off the chair and headed to get dressed and hopped this didn't take all day because the king size bed was looking really good.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Eliot, this is not funny." Kenna stood in front of the art gallery.

"I plan on buying a painting, not stealing one." He led her in the front door. "I would of brought Parker if I was gonna steal it." Kenna shook her head.

"Okay, I'm intrigued." She looked around. It had been a really long time since she was in a place quite so classy. A woman came up to them.

"May I help you?" She said in a rather uptight way that made the hair on the back of Kenna's neck stand up.

"Yeah you have a Monet that was put up for sale last week and I was wondering if it was still available." The woman looked at him.

"It is. The last offer was two hundred thousand."

"I'll give you half million cash." Kenna looked at him. The woman's jaw nearly hit the ground.

"I can have it delivered this afternoon." Eliot smiled.

"I would like it delivered on Christmas Eve to this address." He handed the woman a piece a paper and the small case he was carrying.

"Yes sir." She took the case.

"You have some explaining to do." Kenna asked.

"The Monet was the first painting that Nate chased Sophie for."

"So you're giving it to them for Christmas? A half a million dollar painting."

"It's only money Kenna. You can't take it with you." He leaned over and kissed her. The woman came back.

"Here is your receipt Mr. Collins." The woman smiled and batted her eye lashes at him.

"Oh please." Kenna turned and headed out the door.

"Kenna…" Eliot grabbed the receipt and followed Kenna out to the car. "Kenna…" He got in. "What is your problem?"

"Absolutely nothing." She stared out the front window.

"I'm glad." Eliot returned. He started the car and headed to his next stop. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything." She said quietly. He looked at her.

"Okay." Eliot drove silently for another couple of blocks. "I did do something."

"No, you didn't." She looked at him. "It's all me." Kenna looked out the side window.

"You never were afraid to tell me what was going through that pretty little head of yours so why start now." He pulled into a parking lot and parked.

"Just let it go." She said.

"Okay, it's gone." He got out and went around the car. Opening the door Kenna got out.

"What are we doing here?" Kenna looked at the building.

"Just a stop on the tour of the obscure Christmas gift givers almanac." Eliot opened the door of a store with blacked out windows.

"Do I really want to know?"

"Probably not." He smiled. There was a woman in a tight red…Star Trek uniform.

"Hello Mr. Collins. Your order just came in." The girl handed him a box. "I made sure Alec didn't know they were available."

"I'm not going to ask how, but thank you." He handed her an envelope. "I put a little extra for you hard work." The girl giggled.

"Thanks." Eliot turned to Kenna but she was gone. He rolled his eyes. "God help me." He found her leaning against the car.

"Do I dare ask what's in the box?"

"Probably not. Can I ask you something?"

"It's a hormone thing." She looked at him. "I promise, it'll pass." Kenna got into the car. Eliot put the box in the trunk.

"I got Hardison and Parker something totally stupid and childish." He said.

"Sounds like something they would both like." Kenna smiled.

"I got them Tribbles." He even had a hard time saying it out loud.

"The first episode of Star Trek they watched together." Kenna looked at him. "You really thought this out didn't you."

"Kinda. You know I don't sleep much." Kenna smiled.

"You know there is better ways to pass the time." She leaned over and kissed him.

"You need sleep." He ran his hand down her cheek. "You know I don't see what you see." She looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"The woman at the Gallery, the girl at the comic book store. I see them, but I don't look at them. Not since the day you walked back into my life. You can believe what you want but your all I want under my tree and in my bed every Christmas till the day I die Kenna Shane."

"I'm not like them. I can't be like them."

"Who said you had to be." He kissed her. "Don't be anything other than yourself for me." He hugged her.

"I'm sorry I'm such a sap."

"You wouldn't be you if you weren't." Eliot laughed. "Let's go get some lunch."

"Someplace normal please."

"What, you didn't like the Indonesian place we hit last week."

"I liked morning sickness more."

"Okay, burgers it is." Eliot hated shopping just as much as Kenna did but it helped doing something you hate with someone you love. Sooner or later she would figure that out.


	6. Chapter 6

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Six

(Midnight December 23)

Eliot looked at the box on the table. He had found it purely by accident. When they had gone home to help Shane he had remembered it when he was on a walk to clear his head. There was a time when what was in that box had been the most valuable possessions in their young lives. He looked at the door that lead to his bedroom. Their bedroom. Now the most important thing in his life was them. Kenna and the baby growing inside her. The box still held some really good memories from their past life though. He opened it and looked at the contents. They had chosen every item in the box because it had some sort of meaning. The gold watch that belonged to Joe Spencer and Eliot had never had the heart to wear after his mama gave it to him after his father's funeral. The charm bracelet that Jodi had gotten from their father three days before Joe had killed himself and she couldn't bring herself to put on again after his death.

Then there was the one thing that had broken his heart to put in the box. He opened the velvet box and looked at the sapphire and diamond ring. Smiling he took out the ring and remembered the day he had given it to Kenna.

_(Flashback December 1984)_

"_Give me a quarter." Jodi had told him as they walked toward the Five and Dime._

"_What?" He looked at her sternly._

"_Please, may I have a quarter?" She said softly. He didn't care if she was only seven; she was going to learn a little bit of manners. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a two quarters and gave them to her. "Thank you Eliot." Jodi smiled and kissed his cheek and ran off to the gumball machines. Kenna stood back and watched her friend in amazement. He reached into his pocket again and took out two more quarters. He had been saving up to go the arcade with his friends on Saturday but to see a smile on the girls face was a far better reward._

"_Here, Kenna Shane." He pushed the quarters in her hand. She shook her head._

"_No, Eliot, thank you but you earned this money. There's nothing in those machines I need." She handed him back the coins and walked to where Jodi was opening the round plastic ball with a necklace in it. Jodi handed Kenna half of the gumball she had bought with the other quarter and he saw her head turn just a little and touched the machine that promised jewels of every color on gold or silver rings. The girls kept walking down the sidewalk, toward the feed store where they were to meet his mom. He stopped and looked at the machine and then back to the girls lost in their own conversation. Pulling one of the quarters out of his pocket he slipped it in the machine and turned the knob. Without looking he slid the ball into his pocket and kept walking. _

"_You coming slow Polk." Jodi turned around and looked at him with all the discussed a seven year old could muster._

"_Yeah, I'm coming." That night he had slipped the ball under Kenna's pillow as she slept curled at the foot of Jodi's bed. The next morning it was on the chain that held the St. Christopher medal his mother had given her on her last birthday. The ring stayed on that chain till the night he left and they had buried the box. Kenna had found the silk ring box at a rummage sale and had put the ring inside it. She told him that when he came back they would dig up the box and she would wear the ring again. Kenna never told anyone who had given her the gumball machine treasure, not even Jodi. They both knew it was the first secret of many they would share in their lifetime._

_(Present)_

Eliot looked at the two pictures that had lain in the bottom of the box for nearly twenty years. One of the three of them not long after Kenna had come into their lives. Face dirty, shirt too small and sandy blond hair whipping in the wind. The other of a shy a but mischiefest teenager behind him with her arms wrapped around his neck and Jodi leaning against his shoulder. He heard the door to the bedroom open and he tossed the ring box back into where he had gotten it from and slid it back under the coffee table.

"You coming back to bed cowboy?" Kenna stood at the door with the sheet wrapped around her haphazardly and her golden blond hair falling in wisps around her face.

"I'll be there in a minute darlin'." He smiled when she nodded and turned sleepily back to the bed. He pulled out another black satin box from his pocket and opened it. It was the same ring that sat in the box under the coffee table but this one wasn't from a gumball machine. He had brought the plastic and glass version to a jeweler friend and he had made an exact duplicate in white gold, a real heart shaped sapphire and the most perfect diamonds the man could find. Eliot didn't know if he was going to give it to her for Christmas or was he going to wait till the perfect moment. He stood and slid the box back into his pocket and headed into the bedroom.

"Everything okay?" Kenna asked him as he slid off his jeans and crawled into bed next to her. She curled into his side and threw her leg over his. She was still half asleep but she knew him too well for him to tell her anything but the truth.

"Yeah, just a lot of memories hittin' me all at once." He kissed her hair and ran his hand down her soft curves.

"Good or bad?" She asked softly.

"Both." His hand stroked her back side. "It'll pass."

"Don't let it eat away at you." She let her hand travel down his chest.

"You know I won't." He felt her breath even and knew that she was asleep again. He wouldn't leave their bed again tonight. Closing his eyes he thought back to the nights he spent without her. Nights spent with women he didn't know anything about them other than their names and sometimes he hadn't even cared to find that out. Eliot wondered how he had come full circle in all those years. He didn't care. She was here now and he wasn't going to lose her again.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

(5:30 AM December 23)

"Elliot!" Kenna sat up screaming. He was through the bathroom door and next to her before she took another breath.

"I'm right here baby." She clung to him. His body dripping from the shower. Her lips found his and kissed him. "Hey, hey calm down." Pushing her a few inches away. "It's okay."

"I know." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Talk to me." He ran his hand down her back.

"I…" She couldn't tell him. He wouldn't understand.

"Kenna?" She didn't want to think.

"Please, Eliot." Kenna pleaded and kissed him again. "I don't want to talk about it." Letting the sheet fall she ran her hands down his back and pushed him down on the bed. He held her back and looked into her eyes. There was no stopping her when she got like this. She knew that he wouldn't stop her. It was kind of like stepping in front of a fast moving train. Kenna straddled him.

"You're going to tell me one way or another Kenna." He growled softly. He moved his hands to her hips. "Sooner or later baby, you will tell me." She leaned over and kissed him. She started move. He was about to get hit by a train and there was no stopping it.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(3:00 PM December 23)

"For the last time Parker, two days." Eliot stood against the bar.

"I can give you yours if you give me mine."

"Parker, please." He threw a pretzel at her.

"Eliot!" She laughed. "Where's Kenna?"

"Shower."

"It's three in the afternoon."

"What, you never took an afternoon shower?" He asked.

"You spent the day having sex, didn't you?"

"Parker!"

"Sorry. But that's what you did, isn't it?" Eliot looked at her

"There's something wrong with you."

"Duh." She smiled. Turning she saw Kenna coming through the back door. "Oh yeah, definitely spent the day having sex." Parker said. The older woman was practically glowing. "If she wasn't already pregnant I would guess she would be now." The thief slid off the bar stool and headed out the door. Eliot shook his head. Kenna came up to him.

"Where's Parker going to in such a hurry?"

"Probably to trash the truck and the car to find her Christmas present." He kissed her. "You look amazing." Eliot told her.

"You're such a great liar." She smiled. He shook his head.

"You still owe me an explanation."

"I had a bad dream. It consisted of me being held captive by your ex and her killing you. Enough said." Kenna turned and headed out the door.

"Kenna, wait." He followed her. "Kenna, you don't have a coat on and it's like ten degrees out there." She wasn't stopping. "Damn it Kenna." He grabbed her arm as she was storming up the steps. "KENNA!" Turning she looked at him.

"It always the same, you leave and I'm alone. Is that what you want to hear Eliot?"

"I'm not leaving Kenna." He looked at her. "When you finally realize that, then we'll talk." He went back into the bar, leaving her to think about what he had said. Nate was sitting at a corner table when he came back in.

"Problem?"

"Hormones." Eliot sat down. "Was Maggie this bad?"

"Maggie was different. She didn't have abandonment issues and a little PTSS." Eliot looked at Nate.

"Do you really think she's got PTSS?"

"Eliot she's got the nightmares, the anger, and the fear of commitment."

"Sounds like we both need to see a shrink." Eliot said.

"All six of us. Maybe we can get a group rate." Nate smiled. "Just be there for her."

"Yeah, I gotta run an erred; can you go talk to her?" Eliot got up.

"Eliot…" The hitter was out the door before Nate said another word. "Damn it Eliot." Nate got up and headed out to find Kenna. "All I want for Christmas is less drama in my life." He threw down some money for his bill and headed out the door.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Nate found Kenna on the roof. She was sitting in the corner by Eliot's herb garden. He walked over to her and wrapped the coat he had grabbled on his way up.

"Let's go inside."

"He thinks I'm insane."

"I think you're insane. Its ten degrees out here Kenna. Come on." He helped her up.

"I don't want to go." She shook her head.

"Kenna, you're not doing yourself or the baby any good sitting out here." Guiding her toward the stairs Nate put his arms around her. "It's going to be okay."

"I'm sorry Nate." She whispered.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

"Is he mad?"

"He's upset." They were in the stairwell. "Just tell him what you're feeling. Believe it or not he's a great listener." Kenna smiled.

"I know." Nate looked at the woman who had stolen all their hearts over the last nine months. "I just have to be better at sharing."

"You'll get the hang of it." Nate led Kenna down to her apartment. "Eliot should be back soon. Talk to him." Nate kissed Kenna on the top of the head.

"Thanks for getting me out of the cold."

"You would have done it sooner or later. Just keep warm." Kenna knew he wasn't talking about the Boston winter.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(5:15 PM December 23)

"I understand if you don't want to listen to me." Kenna said when Eliot finally came through the front door.

"I told you I would be here when you wanted to talk." He went to sit with her on the sofa.

"I guess I just don't know how to be happy Eliot." She leaned her elbows on her knees and looked at the fire crackling in the fire place. "The only time I was ever happy was when I was with your family Eliot. When I was with you. I thought I might have found happiness with Jimmy…and I bet the farm on that and married him."

"Jimmy was a jack ass Kenna. I know he hurt you but I'm not Jimmy."

"I know. I keep telling myself that but the pain is always there."

"I could never hurt you Kenna."

"But you have. Not now but you did leave and I don't know why but my subconscious keeps reminding me." She looked at him. "No matter how many times I tell myself we've both grown up that little girl inside me won't let me forget." Eliot pulled out the box from under the coffee table.

"Do you remember this?" He put the box on the couch between them.

"How could I forget?" Opening the box she smiled at the pictures of them. "God your hair was so short." He chuckled. The velvet box was there. The ring that she wore most of their time together. She opened it. "I used to pretend that I was really your girlfriend. That those cheerleaders and dancers you dated meant nothing to you."

"They didn't mean a damn thing." He pulled out the box he had in his pocket. Opening it he looked at her. "Nothing ever felt right till you Kenna. Not then and not now." He took out the ring.

"Eliot…" He got down on one knee. Kenna's eyes welled up with tears.

"Kenna Shane Hawks…will you marry me?"

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

A/N: I love a good cliff hanger…don't you.

eHHHHH


	7. Chapter 7

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Seven

"Eliot…" Kenna looked at the ring and then I him. "I didn't mean…that you should do this…I never wanted to be the reason…" She swallowed hard.

"Kenna, the only reason I'm asking you is because I love you and I want you to know that wherever you are is the place I will always come back to."

"I don't need a ring and a promise to know that Eliot."

"I think you do. Because every time something goes wrong or we fight lately you think I'm gonna leave. You need a reason to believe that I'm going to be here for you and our kid." He looked into her eyes. "I need you to know that I'm in this forever."

"Nothing is forever. People die, people change their minds, and people leave Eliot." Kenna stood up and went to the window. The snow was falling harder. It was really going to be a white Christmas.

"What can I say to make you understand that I'm not going anywhere? I can't promise I'm not going to die but I can promise I will not change my mind and I'm never ever going to leave you." He came up behind her. "I messed up a whole lot of things in my life. The first was leaving Kentucky without you and Jodi. When you came back into it I swore I would never let you go again."

"Eliot…" Kenna closed her eyes. Her head was pounding and the baby seemed to feel her mother's stress and began kicking and rolling inside her. "I'm not saying no to the idea." She turned to look at him. "But I can't say yes, either." Eliot took her hand.

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." He put the ring on her finger. "Just know that I will always, always be there for you." As long as she had worn the plastic and glass ring around her neck he had been there as her friend and her protector. She knew in her heart that as long as she wore the new ring on her finger he would be that man again. It was her brain that told her not to trust anyone, not even the hero with the blue eyes that had saved her a lifetime ago. She was to trust no one but herself. Now if her brain could listen to her heart, everything might be all right. He took her in his arms and held her tightly against his chest.

"I'm sorry I can't offer you a better answer Eliot." She whispered.

"When you're ready Kenna, you'll have the answer." He said against her hair. "I love you." He let his hand go to her stomach and felt the child inside her kick. "Both of you. Now and forever." Closing his eyes Eliot prayed that she would see that this was the way thing were meant to be.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Both Kenna and Eliot decided that they would keep the ring a secret till Christmas so she put on the chain with the Saint Christopher's medal that she still wore around her neck. They went down and had dinner at the bar with everyone. Sharing plans of the upcoming week off. Eliot and Kenna decided to take a road trip to Kentucky and they all planed to be home by New Year's Eve and spend the night playing poker and sharing vacation storied. Nate looked at his hitter and his girlfriend. Something had happened between them but he couldn't put his finger on what it was and they weren't sharing. As long as they worked it out he really didn't care.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

(Midnight December 24)

"Parker's in the vents again." Kenna rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. Eliot had just gotten home from the poker game Nate had started after dinner. Kenna had called it a night about ten and now it was midnight and she could hear the blond thief through the vents.

"She'll get board." He slid off his boots and took his watch and set it on the dresser. "And she'll never find her present." Eliot yelled into the vent. Kenna laughed. He unbuttoned his shirt.

"When does this boredom set in because she's driving me insane?" Sliding off his jeans he got into bed.

"I know one way we can get her to leave." Eliot said as he slid his arms around her.

"Hey, your hands are cold." She screeched. He chuckled.

"You never complained before." Eliot pulled her back against him. He ran his hands down her naked body. "You know when the baby's born you might have to start wearing pajamas."

"Maybe that's what you can get me for Christmas. The kind with the feet." Kissing her neck he ran his hands down her body. "Ohhh Eliot don't stop…" She moaned loudly.

"Oh Kenna oh yeah." He said loudly.

"EWWWWW!" They heard from the vent. The sound of retreating thumps made them both burst into laughter. It was something that they hadn't done in a very long time.

"Let's hope that's the last time we have to scare our thief away with sex."

"You aren't going to stop, right." Kenna asked. "Because stopping now could be the deal breaker." She turned in his arms.

"You mean if I don't finish what I started, you not going to…marry me?"

"Eliot, I swear if I marry anyone it will be you." She kissed him. "Thank you for being patient with me."

"Thank you for being honest with me." He rolled on his back and closed his eyes, pulling her close. "I'm really not going anywhere Kenna."

"I know, not with that problem between your legs." Kenna straddled him.

"You my dear are incredibly needy."

"Is that a bad thing?" She looked into his eyes.

"No. You won't get any complaints from me."

"I was never like this with Jimmy?" She knew bringing him up with both of them naked and him about to enter her wasn't going to go over real big. "Sorry." He looked in her eyes.

"Tell me." He held on to her hips. She looked confused. "Tell me what's different."

"I never…wanted it all the time."

"Wanted what?" He said teasingly.

"Sex Eliot. Is that what you wanted to hear? Hi I'm Kenna, I'm thirty four and I'm addicted to sex with the father of my child." He moved a little and sent a shiver up her spine.

"What about the first two months we were together and you couldn't blame your hormones?"

"It had been a really long time." She moved her hips. "Really, really…really long time."

"Jimmy didn't…or wouldn't?"

"I can't you believe you're asking that." She smiled. "Especially in the position you're in." He moved her slowly. "Do you really want to know?" She whispered.

"I wouldn't be asking."

"Never."

"Never what?"

"I can't believe I'm telling you this." She smiled. "In the two years we were together I never had an orgasm." Eliot laughed. "I should have never said anything." She rolled off him and turned away from him.

"Kenna, darlin' I'm not laughing at you." He pulled her back. "I wanted you to tell me." He ran his hand down her belly. "Was it only him that didn't satisfy you." His hand traveled lower.

"Ahh, you expect me to think when you're doing that?" She asked.

"Doing what?" She arched her back as he hit an extremely sensitive part of her anatomy.

"Eliot…oh God, you know that drives me crazy."

"Tell me." He whispered.

"No, only you." She moaned.

"What about me?" Eliot voice was anything but calm.

"You're the only man that…"

"Say it." She felt him inside her as his fingers did things to other places.

"You're the only man I ever…oh Eliot…"

"Say it." He growled.

"You're the only man that's ever given me an orgasm." She painted as he took both of them over the edge. The room was quiet except for their labored breathing. Kenna clung to him shaking.

"That should count for something." He whispered in her ear.

"It always has." She turned and buried her face in his chest as he pulled the blankets over them both.

"Another reason you have to marry me."

"I don't have to marry you to have mind blowing sex with you Eliot."

"I bet it could get better if we were married." Kenna chuckled.

"Baby, it gets any better we're going to need CPR."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Eliot ran his hand down her back. "I'm not going to give up, Kenna."

"God I hope not." She wrapped her leg around his and clung to him. She didn't care if he only needed a few hours sleep Kenna needed him next to her. Holding her. Keeping all her dragons at bay. "Please don't go." She whispered as she fell asleep. He knew that she needed him to stay in their bed tonight. Maybe it was a habit he would have to look into. It had been a long time since he spent the whole night in bed.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(6:15 AM December 24)

"Eliot?" Kenna felt the warm body next to her.

"You expected someone else?" He ran his hand down her back.

"I never wanted anyone else." She whispered.

"Then why are you making me beg?"

"I don't recall anyone begging last night but me." Eliot smiled.

"Darlin' you never have to beg to get anything from me." Kenna sat up and took the ring off the chain around her neck.

"Do you really think that a few words and a piece of paper is going to make this all better somehow?" He took the ring from her and put it on her ring finger of her left hand.

"No but it will make me a happy man."

"Eliot Spencer…a happy man, what a concept." She looked at him.

"Once in a lifetime chance baby." Kenna smiled. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you like." She laid down and put her head on his shoulder. "Will I answer you…?"

"No secrets Kenna."

"No secrets."

"Other than Jimmy and me…:"

"Oh Eliot I do not like where this is going and on Christmas Eve no less."

"What ever happened to no secrets?"

"Whatever happened to no kissing and telling?"

"I'd tell you but it would take all day." His grin was so naughty she almost hated to slap it off his face.

"You are a man whore Eliot; you do know that, right?"

"Not anymore. Well except with you." He kissed her.

"Now you know why I wonder why you would settle for me." Eliot shook his head.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Say that I'm settling. Damn it Kenna Shane. You are the most beautiful, talented, loving woman I have ever met. I love you for what's inside and hell the outside is just as hot darlin'. Why can't you see that?"

"I guess because I haven't had the vast experience you have." She pushed out of his arms. "You asked about the other men…you really want to know?" He didn't anymore. He had made her angry and all he wanted to do was make her feel safe. "Pretty much, that's it. I dated a few guys here and there but you and Jimmy are the only ones I ever…I let…damn it Eliot." She didn't want it to be like this. He pulled her down and kissed her hard. She felt his heart beating and the blood rushing through her veins. He entered her without any warning or soft words. She needed to know that this didn't make her different, it made her more special. The things they had done and the places they had taken each other meant more to him now more than ever.

"Marry me Kenna Shane." He kissed her. "Just believe in us baby. Have faith in us." He said as he ran his hands over her body. He moved in her and she couldn't catch her breath. Eliot had taken her breath away since the day they met and it seemed that there was no chance he was going to stop doing it any time soon.

"Yes, yes Eliot…"

"Yes, you'll marry me?" Stopping he smiled knowing he was going to get hit before this was over. She looked into his eyes. They had never lied to her. Never hurt her intentionally. Never told her something he didn't mean.

"Yes." She whispered. "I will marry you." She kissed him and they finished what they started in desperation, but ended with two people saying yes to a whole new beginning.


	8. Chapter 8

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter Eight

(9:00 AM December 24)

"You made breakfast?" Eliot looked confused.

"Just because I don't cook all the time doesn't mean I can't." Nate handed him a plate of bacon.

"Point taken." Eliot set the plate on the table.

"What's up with you and Kenna?"

"What you mean?"

"You're smiling and she's glowing."

"It's Christmas Nate."

"I haven't seen your smile this much since I've known you."

"We exchanged presents early." Was all he said. Nate shook his head.

"This is going to be a long day." Nate went to the table with the rest of his crew. He watched the people around him talk and exchange witty banter. '

"You okay Nate?" Kenna asked from next to him.

"Just enjoying the noise." She touched his hand and the glint of the ring on her hand caught his eye. "I guess asking if you and Eliot worked things out is kind of a moot point." Kenna smiled.

"He wanted to make sure it was alright with you before we told the rest of the te…family." Nate looked at Kenna.

"How are you with it?"

"I would rather a simpler way of him knowing that I'm okay with how things are between us but he won't believe me."

"I think this way is the best for both of you. The more ties that hold you both, the less likely you are to turn tail and run." Nate smiled. "Eliot, it seems you have an announcement to make." Eliot looked at Nate and then Kenna. She smiled.

"Okay, than…Ah, last night I ask Kenna to marry me…and well this morning she finally said yes." Eliot looked around the table. Their friends looked truly happy for them. There was hugs and congratulations and Eliot thought he saw a little more of Kenna's resolve fade. He held her hand and hoped that this happy Christmas would be the first of many for them both.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

(3:00 PM)

"You didn't say I had to put the suit on again Nate." Eliot looked at him.

"The flu is going around and I'm guessing the man who was playing Santa got it. It's for the kids Eliot."

"You always play that card and one of these days your gonna be surprised when I say I don't care."

"When you say that I know it's time to put a stake in your cold frozen heart." Nate turned and walked out the door. Eliot watched him leave. The man was more confusing than Parker, some days. He went into Nate's spare room to change and found Kenna trying to zip up her elf costume.

"He sucked you in too?" She turned.

"Who the hell makes a maternity elf costume in beyond me." She smiled. "I look ridiculous."

"Baby you look hot." He helped her with her zipper as the doorbell rang. "Everyone is down stairs."

"I'll get it, you need to change." She grabbed her elf shoes and went out to answer the door. The doorbell rang again. "I'm coming." Kenna opened the door. An older blond woman stood at the threshold. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"I might be in the wrong place." She said.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Nathan Ford."

"No, you're in the right place." The woman looked at Kenna, eyes wide. "I think he might be downstairs."

"Kenna, did you see those damn suspenders?" Eliot came out of the bedroom holding up his pants. "Maggie?"

"Eliot." He came behind Kenna.

"What are you doing in town?" She looked at him.

"On my way to LA. I thought I'd stop and have a drink with Nate."

"He doesn't drink anymore." Kenna said, sounding more like Parker than she wanted to.

"I'm sorry, Maggie Collins, Kenna Hawks." The women looked at each other.

"I've heard a lot about you." Kenna said.

"All good I hope?"

"Mostly." Kenna smiled. "I'll go find your suspenders." She looked at Eliot and excused herself.

"Nice, she belong to Nate or you?" Maggie said sarcastically

"Me. Nate's in to brunets now." Eliot looked at her. "Sorry, Kenna's rubbed off on me a bit."

"Should I leave now?"

"I think a cup of coffee together to say goodbye is a good thing."

"Is that an order?"

"That's me telling you that he needs to move on. I know you share memories and you shared Sam but he needs to find a way to be happy. Sophie is good for him." Kenna came from the hall and handed him his suspenders. "Kenna, why don't you show Maggie down to the Poker room? I'll meet you down there." He turned and walked back toward the bedroom. Kenna motioned out the door and Maggie headed to the elevator.

"When are you due?" Maggie asked as they waited for the car.

"February." Kenna looked at the older woman. "I'm sorry about before. I'm not rude by nature. Late I've been rude and hor…" Kenna shook her head. "And I over share." Maggie smiled. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The elevator opened and they got in. "Have you known Eliot long?"

"Since I was seven." Maggie raised her eyebrows. "I know, it sounds funny doesn't it?"

"I just have a hard time picturing Eliot as a child, let alone a father."

"Yeah, he's been a real trooper lately." The elevator stopped and the doors opened. "Take a left and the first door on the left."

"Thanks. And good luck if I don't see you before the babies born."

"Thanks." Kenna headed the opposite direction. She didn't think she wanted to be in the same room as Nate, his ex wife and Sophie. The bar was nearly empty on Christmas Eve so Kenna hid out there waiting for Old Saint Eliot. Parker came and sat next to her.

"They made you wear one too?" Kenna looked at Parker.

"Yours looks a hell of a lot better than mine." Kenna said.

"It's because yours was made for two." She raised her eye brows.

"Don't remind me."

"I thought you liked being pregnant."

"Once I got over the morning sickness everything was uphill from there."

"So I can't find any presents at your apartment, Nate's or Hardison's. Did you all forget it was Christmas?" Kenna smiled.

"Is that coming soon?" Turning around in her seat and watched at Nate, Maggie and Sophie walked through the bar.

"Maggie's here?"

"Yeah, and it looked like they all played nice." Kenna said as Eliot came in, wearing his Santa suit. "Hey Santa." He did not look happy.

"Let's get this over with." He growled.

"What ever happened to the jolly old elf thing?" Parker asked.

"Screw you Parker and if you ever crawl around my vents in the middle of the night again I'm gonna let Kenna load the shot gun she's got in the closet." He snarled.

"Next time you play hide the candy cane turn down the volume." Parker stuck her tongue out at him. "You're in a crappy mood."

"No, I'm not, and I'm sorry Parker." He looked at Nate talking to Maggie at the front door. "I just don't want him to go back to his old ways."

"He won't. Not with Sophie doing better. I've never seen him so happy." Parker said.

"Let's hope not. Come on ladies, we have a party to get to." Hardison came around the corner in an elf costume.

"Oh somebody is gonna pay for this. Y'all got sucked in too." Nate looked over to see his Santa and his helpers and smiled. This was going to be a really great Christmas. He said his goodbyes to Maggie and he and Sophie went to the others.

"So we're all set to go." Four pairs of eyes glared at him.

"No elf costume for you and Sophie?" Hardison asked.

"They only require three elves." Nate looked at them. "Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to Mr. Nicolas. It means a lot to me. The five of you have become my family and that's what Christmas is all about." He put his hands in his pockets. "Let's go make some kids happy." He walked out the back door followed by Sophie.

"Damn that man can make a speech." Hardison said and followed him down the hall.

"You know he's just sucking up to us because we look ridiculous?" Kenna said, getting off the bar stool and headed in the direction of the back door.

"This will be the last time I put on this suit, for anyone, even you Kenna." Eliot followed her.

"What about next year when you can pretend for the baby?" Parker added as she followed Eliot.

"We'll talk then." He growled and they all headed out to make Christmas special for some needy kids.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

(10:45 PM December 24)

"Eliot, this is too much." Nate looked at him over the Monte.

"I knew it meant something to both of you." He answered. Kenna smiled. Eliot had put so much thought into his gifts but he was prepared for the attention and the appreciation giving those gifts would entail. Sophie was tearing up.

"Thank you Eliot." She said softly. He nodded. Eliot had intentionally left his presents for last so then he could play the 'it's getting late' card.

"Your welcome." Kenna stood and went to the cupboard that housed the team's foods of choice in their apartment. It housed Parker's cereal and fortune cookies, Hardison's gummy frogs and orange soda, Nate's coffee and Sophie's tea. Kenna pulled out a two large boxes of cereal and handed one to Parker and one to Hardison.

"You hid them in the cereal?" Parker shook her head.

"The last thing on your mind the last few days was cereal." Eliot smiled. Kenna curled back up next to him and Hardison and Parker opened their presents.

"Eliot…you…" Hardison looked up at him. "I would have known if these came up for sale man." Eliot took a drink of his beer.

"You're not the only one who has people." He told the hacker. Parker ran her hand over the fluffy tribble and then threw herself at Eliot, hugging him.

"I can't believe you hid him in the cereal."

"Okay Parker." Kenna laughed.

"Thank you." She went and sat next to Hardison.

"Your welcome." Eliot answered. They all were quiet. It had been a great day. The kids, the food, the presents. This is what Christmas should be like. Kenna stood and got the last present from under the tree. She handed it to Eliot.

"Kenna…"

"I know, you have everything you ever want…or need." She sat next to him. He opened the box and a file was in there. He opened it. There was a picture of a horse and papers saying it belonged to him.

"Kenna…"

"I couldn't resist." She pointed to the name of the horse.

"Spencer's Pride." He looked at her.

"He's at the farm. I hired a guy from Denver your mom and Charlie recommended to run the farm."

"Wow, Kenna…this is…." He looked up at her. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." She kissed him. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Eliot took her in his arms and they looked at the people around them. They all had sad family stories and hard childhoods and somehow they all found each other. Kenna closed her eyes and felt Eliot tighten his hold on her. This is what it was like to be a family and Eliot was glad he had found Kenna again and she was going to be part of his life forever. It was all he ever wanted for Christmas.


End file.
